Impact in Action: Arts
Making Red Wing an Arts & Culture Destination
Art adds value to every community – and in Red Wing, Minnesota, a collaboration is bolstering economic growth and cultural vibrancy.
Creative culture has always existed in Red Wing, dating back to the Dakota people who originally occupied the land. Since then, this river town in southeastern Minnesota has become a place for creatives of all kinds, such as crafters, sculptors, painters and musicians.
“In Red Wing, no person is one thing,” said Anderson Center Executive Director Stephanie Rogers. “Here’s where you’ll find a musician who’s a master carpenter who renovates historic buildings but also runs a recording studio and teaches lessons on the side. There’s a lot of that.”
Cultivating the Arts Scene in Red Wing
In 2022, arts nonprofits in Red Wing brought in a total of $4.9 million to the city, generating more than $500,000 in government revenue.
Living among such creatives, the Jones Family Foundation, founded by Scott and Anne Jones, saw the opportunity to establish Red Wing as an arts and cultural destination. To help make their vision a reality, the foundation invested in resources to support a collective of local arts leaders in promoting the city’s arts scene.
The collective consists of three arts nonprofits – Anderson Center at Tower View, Red Wing Arts and the Sheldon Theatre - and a city advisory board.
The Anderson Center at Tower View, led by Stephanie, supports the development of new arts and ideas through residencies, studios and public engagement.
Known as the “jewel-box,” the Sheldon Theatre, led by Executive Director Shantel Dow, serves as gateway to the future and the past using the transformative power of performing arts.
Under the executive leader Emily Foos, Red Wing Arts enriches the lives of the Red Wing community by collecting, celebrating, inspiring and leading through shared art experiences.
The collective also includes the Red Wing Arts & Culture Commission. This group is a fierce advocate in Red Wing and was formed to advise the City Council on Arts and Culture policies, public projects, issues and initiatives. This group is represented by artist and designer Alyssa Reigelman.
“The Jones Family Foundation board is made up of visionaries who love the arts,” said Shantel. “They see all the positive things that the arts do for communities and see Red Wing as being one of the top three arts destinations in the state.”
With the foundation’s support, the four arts representatives collaborated on a comprehensive arts and cultural campaign to promote the city’s diverse arts offerings in an effort to draw more people to Red Wing.
“They see all the positive things that the arts do for communities and see Red Wing as being one of the top three arts destinations in the state.”
Shantel Dow, Sheldon Theatre Executive Director
Building a Campaign to Share Red Wing’s Vibrant Arts Scene
“We have so much depth and richness of arts and culture opportunities, whether it's specific galleries and mediums of art, or performance art, music, hiking and recreation,” Alyssa said.
“We're trying to market the collective offering,” Alyssa said, “not a specific event.”
With that in mind, the organizations have come up with ways to cross promote their work. So far, these arts organizations have worked together by partnering on tours, programming and initiatives.
“Having one big picture focused on all of our strengths has helped each of us in a different capacity,” said Emily.
For example, with their marketing, the collective has been grateful to have Alyssa on their team. In addition to being a representative from the Red Wing Arts & Culture Commission, her role as design manager at Red Wing Shoe Company has provided the group with beneficial industry insight.
“So much of what we all do is about providing opportunities and making our community livable,” Emily said. “For example, when we bring our Fall Festival to town, our hotels and streets are filled. Our businesses report their best sales of the year and that is all because it’s an economic driver and brings people here to appreciate our art.”
“We have so much depth and richness of arts and culture opportunities, whether it's specific galleries and mediums of art, or performance art, music, hiking and recreation.”
Alyssa Riegelman, Red Wing Arts & Culture Commission representative
The Foundation's Impact in Action
The Jones Family Foundation is a supporting organization of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. What started as a donor advised fund has evolved into an independent foundation. It has funded a scholarship program called the Red Wing College Promise Program and recently announced its new executive director, Zach Pruitt.
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